Azarath
by aspectabund
Summary: There are few things worse than being completely new to a high school meant to create superheroes, but being sent to your homeland because your powers are out of control definitely beats Freshman Friday. Semi-AU. First of the Raven trilogy.
1. Chapter 1

**_Title:_ Azarath**  
**_Rating:_ T**  
**_Summary:_ There are few things worse than being completely new to a high school meant to create superheroes when you don't know anything about being a superhero, but being sent to your homeland because your powers are out of control definitely beats Freshman Friday.**

It's finally done, it's finally done! I'm doing a jig right now! Not really, I'm actually typing out this author's note!

Alright, in my opinion, it's so much better in the beginning than in the end... probably because by the time I was halfway through, I was rushing to see where it would end and how it would take me there. However, I'm trying to be a little better about editing, I promise! So hopefully it's a little better. ^^

I really hope you enjoy this! I must warn you, though: Raven's personality is quite manipulated in this. I've always seen a different Raven than everyone else saw, and it definitely shows. Also, I'm envisioning a girl who is a little different than the Raven we see in the show. Trigon isn't a curse, really; not in this fic. I thought it would take too much away from the plot of this first installment, because things with her powers could become a little more complicated. Basically, she has the ability to release Trigon... but in this fic, I've made it so that he's pretty well contained. He won't be an extremely important part in this series. I don't mention how it works in the story, but if you would like more information to truly understand and the backstory I've imagined in my head, feel free to ask! ^^

Alright, enjoy! ^^ I will also include an explanation of certain things at the end, because I know I don't like to explain _everything_ in stories. I have to force myself to, actually. But anyway, here you go! (also before I forget I'll be updating every Sunday)

* * *

**Chapter One**

Off the shores of Jump City's unnamed beach is an island, large and, for the most part, left alone by the wildlife and the government. This island hasn't been given an 'official' name, but those who are true Jump City dwellers have dubbed it The Hive, after the extraordinary school located there. A bright yellow dome in the center of a far-off body of land in the middle of an ocean is hard to miss, and as a certain half-demon beauty stared into the distance from her position in the sand, she couldn't ignore the way the light bounced off the dome's glass walls and into her vision. If anything had the potential to ruin today, it was that particular light, blinding her eyes. Stupid sun.

Today was her first day of school, of _real_ school. For the past fifteen years of her life, Raven had been home schooled in Azarath, a beautiful place but not a very welcoming one; few were willing to open up their homes or their friendships to a girl strictly raised by the leader of Azarath and her oldest friend Arella. It had taken months of logic and convincing for Azar and Arella to send her to Hive for more training.

She had traveled here alone, and she wanted to take a few minutes to stare at her new home. The Hive wasn't a simple high school; it was a boarding school, so to speak, with roommates, dormitories, and an entire island to itself. Most students opted to stay for the summer, to train even further in hopes of graduating at the top of their class, perfecting their skills, and hopefully becoming a hero worthy of Justice League entry sooner rather than later.

Because that was what Hive was created for: to create potential superheroes, to create potential Justice League members.

That was exactly what Raven desperately wanted. She wanted to be a hero.

"Well, here goes nothing," Raven muttered to herself, getting up from her spot on the beach and heading towards the port.

* * *

"Did you just grab my ass? _You totally did! _Pervert!"

"I want to go home..."

"D_uu_de, personal space! Ever heard of it?"

"I heard _Batman_ was going to be teaching a freshman class this year!"

"Mom? Mom? Can you hear me? Mom?"

Too many noises. Raven resisted the urge to cover her ears and yell at everyone to shut their mouths. Azarath was peaceful, understanding of quiet and prone to silent communication. They were a people of spirituality and emotional balance, as opposed to this loud chatter and emotional outbursts. She had never been exposed to such turmoil before, caught in the middle of a bustling crowd of new Hive freshmen, jostled and shoved as everyone tried to get to the auditorium at the same time.

She wasn't alone in her irritation. "This is insane," the boy next to her grumbled. Someone bumped into him, and he shoved the perpetrator back angrily. "Watch it!" he exclaimed.

The other boy widened his eyes and took a step back – into another girl, Raven noticed with a small smirk. "Sorry, man," he stammered. Unable to help himself, he blurted out, "Aren't you already a super-"

"Superhero's sidekick? Yeah," the boy next to Raven interrupted curtly, ending the short conversation by turning his head sharply away to stare straight ahead as he marched on. He walked on in silence, keeping a steady pace beside Raven whether he realized it or not. Raven couldn't help but study him from the corner of her eye. Dark hair, a mask over his eyes, and a uniform that was a little bright on the eyes.

She had no idea who he was.

The two ended sitting beside each other in the auditorium; Raven noticed that everyone seemed to think the two were already acquainted because of how they had walked in together, but this strange boy hadn't noticed. In fact, he seemed oblivious to everyone else around him. No, that wasn't it; he was trying to ignore everything, and therefore, had blocked out these little unimportant details.

You could call Raven perceptive; she would just remind you she's an empath. This is second nature to her. Even when she doesn't try to pick up on people's emotions, she does. It's why being in that crowd of students had overwhelmed her so extremely; everyone's panic had become a part of her, too.

Right now, the freshmen were whispering amongst themselves; most of them seemed to be friends, having traveled together or at least trained together for some time.

"Don't you kind of miss everyone?"

"Do you remember that time we totally kicked the Jester's butt?!"

"Man, what would Cassie say if she knew we were here?"

"See that girl two rows ahead of us? I call dibs!"

"When is this going to start already?"

Raven turned to the boy sitting to her left, the boy who was apparently a superhero's sidekick. He was the one who had asked about the assembly starting, arms crossed over his chest, slumped slightly in his chair. He clearly didn't want to be here.

"Not sure," she replied in monotone. He seemed surprised that she had answered, but he kept the conversation going, apparently unwilling to be the one who drop out first. He must be one of those stubborn fellows.

"Well, it better start soon, because I'm getting restless." He stretched his arms out behind him and locked his fingers behind his head, peeking out at her. "I'm Robin; haven't seen you around before."

"I'm new," Raven deadpanned.

"Obviously, we're freshmen." Robin laughed, surprising Raven; he didn't _look_ like the playful type, especially after the way he had treated that boy earlier. "Where are you from?" he asked amiably.

"Azarath," Raven answered. She wasn't used to talking with people her own age; all her life, she'd been surrounded by her elders, speaking simply when spoken to, as was the way of most Azarathian children. You wouldn't find many disrespectful toddlers there, and a rebellious teenager was extremely rare. They were trained to find inner peace through open communication and gentle gestures, not through searching for their own opinions and experimenting with new ideas and illegal substances.

"Azarath, huh?" Robin straightened and brought his hands out from behind his head. "What brings you here?" he asked, holding out a hand and gesturing to the large black, yellow, and gray auditorium they were in. "Azarath's a pretty far place to travel from, a whole different dimension, even for a school like Hive."

"Well," Raven said slowly, "I thought it would be worth it."

Robin continued to fire question after question, keeping the conversation going with a smile on his face until Raven relaxed and began talking freely with him, even chuckling a few times despite herself. He seemed pleased that he could elicit a smile from her, as if he already knew that she was unused to expressing her emotions. It wasn't that she was unused to it, necessarily; it was more like she had too much self-control to really 'relax' with her feelings. Emotions were scary. With her powers and her heritage, her inner demon could spring forth at any moment of vulnerability and destroy the entire world.

Emotion was, for Raven, a weakness.

"But don't you think that Dante's take on hell is so limi-hey!" Robin suddenly cut off his next question when the lights suddenly dimmed, erasing his face from her vision – and probably hers from his, Raven assumed. The spotlight shone on the stage in front of them, and all the students quieted, save for Robin. "We were still talking about-"

"Shhh," Raven shushed her new friend.

A man came into the spotlight and took the microphone waiting for him, smiling as the spotlight focused on him. "Welcome, students!" he spoke into the microphone. The students burst into applause, excited now that the assembly had finally started. Robin looked at Raven as he clapped halfheartedly, rolling his eyes at the overdone enthusiasm of the freshmen. Raven chuckled.

"Settle down, settle down. I know you are all excited for your Hive experience to start, but there are some more serious matters to attend to. You are all freshmen, and you are all going to be facing an incredibly difficult year. This is why this assembly is held on your first day each year: for you to get the information you need."

"You may call me Headmaster. I am, obviously, your Headmaster. Duh." He smiled, and the students laughed politely. He sobered once the chuckling had ceased, and the entire auditorium shifted forward slightly, paying close attention to what he would say next.

"Like I said, you'll be facing an incredibly difficult year. This first year is for you. You will get to know yourself in ways that you have never imagined. You will test your strengths and weaknesses, and chances are, you'll beat yourself up for the failures you are bound to have this first year. You will learn that no hero is perfect; it is why sidekicks exist, for all of you sidekicks in the audience."

Raven glanced at Robin, who hadn't reacted at all to Headmaster's comment, save for the slightest rueful twist of the mouth.

"You will train harder than you have ever trained in your entire life. You will be sore every day, and your professors won't even care; they'll make you work even harder because they think you're slacking off. They will never stop pushing; in fact, they will push harder each day, demanding that you step it up. You will get frustrated, and angry, and you will want to go home."

He paused, and the students held their breaths collectively, waiting for what was coming. "But you will not." He looked around the entire auditorium, as if making eye contact with every freshmen in the auditorium. "You will stay, because everyone who comes to Hive is looking for more than a spot on the Justice League. Each one of you are skilled, but you didn't come here just to get better at what you do, did you?" He chuckled, as if the very notion of going to school to learn was foolish.

"No," he said, any trace of his chuckle gone. "You are here because you have always challenged yourself. You are here because you are determined to be greater than average. You are here because you don't like sitting on the sidelines. You don't want to watch the world change; you are here because you want to be part of the change. You are here because you ___are _the change."

Raven had to admit, the speech was powerful. She was immediately lifted, and she could sense that Robin was beginning to warm up to Hive, as well.

"You will make close friendships this year. You must. About a year from now, you will choose a team of talented individuals, and that team will stick with you for the next three years on. You will train with them, suffer with them, fail with them, win with them, and live with them. You will be inseparable, and completely in sync, as a team ought to be. Once you graduate, you will have a choice: to go solo and fight crime, to stay with your team and fight crime... or to not fight crime at all."

The students looked at each other, confusion evident in their expressions. How could anyone come to Hive and give up on fighting for justice after they graduated? Headmaster seemed to guess at their thoughts and chuckled into the mic. "There are five scholarships available at Hive. Two are given to the top two teams of Hive, both of them worth $100,000. Another two are given to the top two individuals of Hive, worth $50,000. And the fifth is given to whoever the Board sees fit, whether that be a team or an individual, worth $1,000,000."

The students looked at each other and gaped, gasped, widened their eyes; the crowd erupted into whispers, each freshman already planning on winning a scholarship. Robin leaned back in his seat and smiled confidently. Raven glanced at him from the corner of her eye, knowing what he was thinking: he already looked forward to winning that $1,000,000 scholarship himself. She already knew him well enough to know that he was stubborn, competitive, and strong in character.

What original traits to find in a teenage male.

"These scholarships are clearly nothing to joke about. They are always a source of competition in our students... and sometimes, the competition becomes too great of a burden on some students." His tone became grave and a little regretful. "Some have decided that without the scholarship, a life as a hero is worthless. Some lose sight of the goal. I ask of you all that you will not have a single student who ends up this way. I ask that all of you will remain genuine, strong, and wise. Remember this day. Remember that there is more to a life of heroism than a silly scholarship from a high school. Remember that it is not what happens in here that matters... it is what happens out there."

He paused as the students reflected over the serious matter, and then beamed at the students. "But regardless of where you end up, Hive will always support you. The choice will be yours."

Headmaster paused, and suddenly winked at them. "The choice is always yours."

* * *

AAAAND there we go! ^^ Chapter one, finished. Phew ~

Hm, there isn't much for me to explain in this fic. Ah, well. Also, the Jester is completely made up. It sounds like the Joker and reminds me of Harley Quinn, but it rolls off the tongue so nicely, right?

Alright, hope you guys enjoyed!


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, I'm terrible at keeping my word. I'll probably end up posting on Sundays and Wednesdays though, because I love getting chapters out. I feel very, very accomplished.

So get ready for some Starfire. And some Robin/Raven friendship love.

* * *

**Chapter Two**

* * *

The students shuffled out of the auditorium, and this time, the students who thought Robin and Raven to be friends were correct. The two chatted endlessly as they exited, discussing everything from literature to United States History.

"No, you're wrong!" Robin insisted, shaking his head fiercely. "_Nixon_ was the worst president. He completely betrayed the trust of his people by committing crimes so underhandedly. He lied and cheated and stole. Despicable," he practically spat.

"No, _you're_ wrong," Raven retaliated. The two were fully arguing now as they headed towards the Common Room where they would get their schedules and roommates and other valuable information. It was a long way off, and they had separated from the rest of the freshmen due to their incessant chatter and had opted for a quieter albeit longer route. "Jackson was the worst president. He failed to maintain the balance between the branches of the government, completely defying the Supreme Court and going ahead with prejudiced actions towards the Native Americans. To let such power become tainted and unbalanced is the highest crime a president can commit. _And_ he was racist," Raven added haughtily.

Robin glared at her, and Raven glared at him. Finally, he laughed and rubbed the back of his neck in what looked like defeat. "Alright, both of them are bad." Raven nodded firmly and continued to walk, comfortable silence filling the absence of chatter.

"It's funny how our choices were so reflective of our personalities," Raven commented suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Robin asked curiously.

"You dislike Nixon because you think betrayal is the worst thing a person can do. You find trust a sacred thing, a responsibility to be dealt with carefully, and breaking that trust in unforgivable. Am I right?" Raven asked. Robin nodded slowly, and Raven smiled triumphantly. All that time of silence and observation had helped her understand people quickly and deeply in a short amount of time – proven by her new friendship with Robin.

But there was something different about Robin – they connected surprisingly well. She knew Robin could feel it, too.

"And you think Jackson is the worst president because not being careful with power and responsibility is what you fear the most," Robin commented.

"Fear?" Raven repeated, almost challenging him as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well, yeah. I mean, thinking something is the worst thing a person can do is kind of like fearing it. I think betrayal is unforgivable because I'm afraid that one day, I'll let down the trust of the people I care about most. So you must be afraid of losing control of your powers," Robin shrugged, not meeting Raven's eyes as he admitted one of his own fears to a girl he had just met.

She stared at him, and after a long pause, nodded. "You're right."

The two walked quietly from then on, not saying much until they were right in front of the Common Room. Before they walked in, Raven put a hand on Robin's shoulder, and said, "Thanks for sharing that fear with me."

Robin smiled at her with the carefree abandon of a child, completely different than the first impression she had of him. "You make me feel comfortable" he said with a shrug. Before Raven could respond, he turned and went towards the Male line.

She raised an eyebrow, but went to the Female line, waiting behind a girl with long red curls. Wasn't it annoying to wash? It was down to her waist, and it was probably full of split ends.. She had chopped off all of her hair a week before she started her journey to Jump City from Azarath. Arella had always wanted Raven to have long hair, and until a week ago, her hair had been the same length as the girl in front of her. But it made showering exhausting, and if she was going to train, she needed her hair out of her face at all times.

Before she knew it, she was second in line, and the girl in front of her was receiving her things. But instead of moving out of line, she was flipping through the papers, oblivious to the expectant stares of the people around her. "Who is Raven?" she called out as she turned to examine the area, her voice high and much more girlish than Raven had been expected. The stunning shade of red had made her assume that the girl was a fierce, strong character, as well... but now that she could see her face, it was clear that this girl was not that sort of girl. Her face was open and sweet, and undoubtedly alien.

"I am," Raven said reluctantly as she raised her hand, already feeling that this wasn't going to end well.

The girl beamed at her and embraced her so tightly, Raven was positive her face turned the same shade as her hair. "I am pleased to meet you, roommate Raven!"

"Roommate?" Raven repeated, alarms ringing all over her body. This cheerful, bubbly girl was going to be her _roommate_?

_So, Arella, I think I might have to come back from Hive... They might get mad because I just killed one of their happiest students,_ Raven imagined telling her mother back at Azarath.

"Yes, roommate! We will have the most delightful of times, I assure you! We will paint our toes and adorn our hair with the shining ornaments known as hair clips and-"

"I should get my stuff first," Raven interrupted, moving around the girl and sending the lady behind the desk a begging glance with her eyes. The woman smirked and shook her head as she flipped through a large folder before pulling out a folder.

"Raven, I assume?" she mocked.

"Yes," Raven said dryly, taking the folder and flipping through it. Starfire. So that was Miss America's name. Or maybe not Miss America; her skin was a unique shade of orange that couldn't come from human genes or a spray tan, and her eyes were completely green, so she must be from outer space.

Before she could skim through the rest of the large packet of papers, Starfire grabbed her wrist and pulled her with a strength that would have sent Raven to the ground if she wasn't so quick on her feet. Her new roommate dragged Raven out of the Common Room and up the stairs, most likely heading for the room they would now share.

"Glorious!" she bellowed at the top of her lungs as she sped forward, as the girl she held onto muttered beneath her breath and looked absolutely miserable.

"Yeah. Glorious."

* * *

"This room is most wonderful, is it not?"

"Yeah, it's great, Starfire."

"Oh, please, let us shorten our names and use them to call one another in a sign of affection and friendship!" the alien girl said cheerfully, lifting a pointed finger as she continued to ramble.

"You mean give each other nicknames?" Raven clarified, her back turned to her new roommate as she dropped a few large bags onto a bed.

"Yes!" Starfire clapped, pleased that she had a name to go with the act of shortening names. "I hear it is an action meant for people who are dear friends, and we are certainly friends! Only friends would choose to live with each other for the entirety of four years!"

"_Four years?"_ Raven turned around with wide eyes, and Starfire nodded her head happily, oblivious to the darkening of her new roommate's cheeks and the horror dripping in her eyes. Aghast, the Azarathian sat down on her bed and stared at Starfire in dread. "Four years," she murmured, deciding not to mention that neither of them had chosen each other for roommates. She didn't make friends easily, Robin being the only exception as of yet, and she would have preferred a quieter roommate, one who would slip in and out without starting small talk or attempting to establish close girlish bonds.

But she had Starfire now, and she might as well get used to it.

"Well, then, I guess we better start getting comfortable now," Raven said hesitantly, if not slightly unwillingly. Starfire flew over – literally _flew_ over – and took the seat by Raven, scooting her luggage aside with little trouble. The perky girl beamed at Raven, who managed a weak smile in return.

"We will be great friends," Starfire said, "and I am excited to share all of the next four years with you!"

"Yeah, me too," Raven lied. _She's nice,_ she mentally scolded herself, _she's sweet, and she wants to be your friend. What's wrong with that? _

She really had to relax and stop being so reclusive.

With that thought in mind, Raven levitated and turned her body towards Starfire, resolving to dedicate her efforts to befriending the sweet alien girl. "So where are you from? Not from Earth, obviously," Raven managed to joke.

Starfire giggled, but Raven saw a slight spark of insecurity in the bright green of her eyes. "You can tell?" she said nervously, affirming Raven's suspicions: she was incredibly self-conscious about her presence on Earth, and more than a little scared to be at Hive.

Raven nodded, feeling sympathy for a girl who felt as much as of an outsider as she did; Azarath was so different than the rest of the world, and it felt like she was from outer space, too. She didn't reach out physically in comfort, but Starfire seemed to sense the softening of Raven's heart, and she brightened slightly.

"I am from Tamaran, a planet light years away," Starfire explained, considerably more interested in telling her story than before. "I have read much of Earth and its inhabitants, and I thought... I thought it would be _nice_ to make myself a home here."

"Tamaran isn't your home?" Raven probed gently.

Starfire stiffened slightly and turned her head away, giving off such strong sadness that Raven wouldn't have needed to call upon her powers as an empath even if she wanted to. "No," she replied simply.

A little uncomfortable but affected by Starfire's sudden unhappiness, Raven reached out and put her hand on Starfire's shoulder, smiling when her confused roommate met her eyes. "Well then, welcome home, Starfire."

"Eeeeeh!" Starfire's squeal shocked Raven and prevented her from fighting the arms that suffocated Raven _again._ She flailed her arms in a futile attempt to break free from the Tamaranian's strong grip, her face turning white as she struggled to maintain her breathing.

"St... Star... Starf-"

"Star! What a glorious nickname!" Starfire pulled back and beamed. Raven took a deep breath, relieved and grateful for the gust of air that paraded through her lungs.

"A nick-ack!" Raven gasped for a precious gulp of air as she was once again smothered by another one of Star's quickly-becoming-infamous death hugs.

"Yes, a nickname! Star for me, and for you... Rae!"

At that horrid idea, Raven used her powers to unwrap the orange arms from her neck and shook her head stubbornly. "No. No Rae. Just Raven."

Her roommate pouted, but she wouldn't fall for it. Nope, Rae just would not work, Rae was not a good nickname at all...

"Fine," Starfire heeded. She glanced towards the clock on the other side of the room and gasped. "Raven! We must go to class!"

"Class? What, how do you know – _let go of my arm!"_

* * *

"Welcome to Survival Training," a large muscular man boomed as two rather skinny girls walked in. "Take a seat wherever you like!" he said as he thought, _If I had that metabolism..._

Starfire giggled once they were past their new teacher, eliciting a questioning glance from Raven. "He has lightning bolts fastened to his head; it is quite ridiculous," she whispered, her quiet giggles becoming more and more audible as time passed.

Raven looked over her shoulder and, when she was certain that Flash hadn't heard her, chuckled (because Azarathians do _not_ giggle) with her new friend. "I guess it does look pretty silly," she conceded.

"Hey, Raven! Over here!"

At the familiar voice, Raven brightened and headed towards Robin's direction. "This way; I have a friend here," she explained when she saw Starfire, frozen a few feet behind her, looking surprised and a little scared.

"Oh!" Starfire exclaimed, her entire body relaxing in relief. She began to walk after Raven, exclaiming, "how fortunate you are, to have a friend already!"

"Yeah, sure," Raven said absent-mindedly, wondering who Robin had for a roommate. Would he mind if she brought her roommate with her? Probably not; he didn't _seem_ the type to hate people immediately... unless they bumped into him, anyway...

"Oh, I apologize profusely!" Starfire's apology brought Raven back from her thoughts. When she turned around to see what had happened, her insides immediately began to drain.

In her deep thinking, Raven had passed Robin's seat, and to grab her attention, he had stood up... only to have Starfire collide into him seconds after.

Wasn't she _just_ recalling how angry Robin had been when someone had crashed into him...?

Raven rushed over, ready to act as the mediator, but it wasn't necessary; Robin laughed and waved the incident away with a few words of introductions, holding out his hand. Starfire took it and shook it with vehemence. Raven smirked when she realized Robin was wincing and murmuring under his breath about "stronger than she looks" as he turned around before he saw her.

"Raven!" he called, "over here."

The three sat by each other, Raven uncomfortably placed in the middle. The room was relatively simple; incredibly spacious, the walls shaped it like a large oval, and the chairs were constructed so that there was a space in the center made only of earth. The seats were made of a dark metal that Raven couldn't name, and placed on a platform that rose a few inches above the dirt.

"How's your roommate, Robin?" Raven asked, turning to the boy on her left.

He shrugged. "His name's Speedy. We already know each other, so at least it's not a complete stranger. He's pretty cool."

"Aw, you think I'm cool?"

The three students turned towards the new voice, and found a redhead smirking at them confidently, arms crossed. He jumped over the row of seats separating the two parties and sat by Starfire, leaning in and examining her as the girl shifted nervously. "You're Tamaranian, aren't you?" he suddenly said, looking pleased with himself when the girl clapped her heads happily.

"How did you know?" she queried.

"Oh, I had a thing with a girl who had the same eyes," he said, leaning back against his chair and resting his head on the back of his seat. After a moment of silence, he turned to me, noticing me for what seemed to be the first time. "Hey, you must be the girl Boy Wonder over here mentioned."

"I only said you were one of the only smart girls here," Robin quickly said.

"The _only _smart girl here?" Starfire repeated, a fiery and oddly short eyebrow arched teasingly at Robin.

He laughed nervously and said, "_One_ of them."

"I'm Raven," said the purple-haired girl, interrupting her new friends' banter and focusing on Speedy.

"Like Robin said, I'm Speedy, the best archer here." The 'best archer here' pulled out an arrow and blew at its tip, sending a wink at Starfire as he did so. The girl blushed at his attention. He slid the arrow back into the bag at his back and commented, "Looks like the class isn't going to start for a bit. How about you and I get acquainted?"

Starfire and Speedy quickly indulged themselves in a deep conversation about Tamaran and whatever else the two had in common as Robin shook his head to himself and looked knowingly at Raven. "He thinks he's such a lady killer," he whispered.

Raven smirked and nodded her head in agreement. "So do you, I bet," she added softly, waiting for his reaction.

"What?!" he scoffed defensively, "I'm not."

"You think she's cute," Raven deadpanned factually.

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do _not._"

"Stop bickering over there, Mr. and Mrs. Boy Wonder!" Speedy called out. Starfire smacked his arm playfully, whispering something along the lines of "leave them alone." Raven smiled smugly when he rubbed the spot, the signs of a bruise clear to her all-seeing eyes.

"Besides, it doesn't even matter; she likes him," Robin said dejectedly.

Raven rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "She just met him."

"She just met me, too!"

"Exactly. Go get the prize."

Robin glared at Raven, who returned the scornful gaze. Finally, he shook his head and smiled, changing the subject to a more agreeable one. "Do you think she'll want to be a part of our team?"

"Team?"

"Yeah. You heard Headmaster; we should be choosing a team now. I bet most people here don't even know who they want on their team. They're probably too focused on Hive to think of the bigger picture. But we're one step ahead, and we can beat them. We just have to be on the lookout early." Robin smacked his open palm with a fist, looking so determined and serious Raven couldn't help but believe all of his droning on about 'getting ahead of the game' and 'being on top.'

"You don't even know my powers, though, much less Starfire's," Raven insisted.

"I don't need to," Robin shrugged. "I know enough. Besides, isn't that why we're here anyway? To learn?"

Raven evaluated him for a few minutes, gauging whether he was sincere or not. He _looked_ serious; he looked eager, young, brimming with enthusiasm and excitement and an overly competitive nature. He really wanted her on his team. She could understand him wanting Starfire; he was clearly interested in her, and she was beautiful enough to catch anyone's eye. But Raven was new to the world as a whole, having been sheltered in Azarath her entire life. She didn't particularly understand why he would want her, too; she had told him just how little she knew of the real world.

Finally, she gave in. She had nothing better to do, after all.

"I'm in."

"Great!" Robin beamed.

"And Robin?"

"Yeah?"

"For all that it's worth, I think Starfire would be more than happy to join our team."

"Great!"

"And Robin?"

"Yeah?"

"I think you're better suited for her than Mr. Greatest Archer Here."

"Uh, anyway, who else do you think should be on our team? That guy over there looks pretty strong but also kind of stupid, like he has no idea what kind of cheese molds the fastest, which is pretty standard for any guy who eats as much as he does, because look at how big he is-"

Raven smiled. Her first day at Hive was already starting to turn out very, very interesting.

* * *

I don't even want to think about who Starfire kissed to learn English. But we'll pretend it was some random boy who was freaked out and ran away.

You guys might have thought her arguing with Robin didn't fit Raven, but that was kind of the point. I wanted to emphasize the connection they had and how quickly the two became friends, and that translated into how comfortable she was and how she let herself just get kind of feisty with him as they argued!

And please don't hate on Speedy! I really really like him. Hitting on Starfire fit his character, but that doesn't mean he's a bad guy. He just likes girls, and there is nothing wrong with that, even if he does get in the way of everyone's OTP. He just makes a little bit of a bad impression, though, doesn't he? My boy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

"_No_, Bumblebee, you can't just 'zap me in the ankle-'"

"I didn't _say_ ankle, Professor Flash."

"Oh, yes, you did, or you'll get sent to Headmaster for vulgarity."

"Hey, you can't put words in my mouth and lie, even if you're my teach-"

In the middle of an argument between Flash and a loud freshman, a bell rang, signaling the end of Survival Training, Professor Flash's frustration, and the students' amusement. With a great sigh, Professor Flash turned to the students and signaled for them to leave already, shaking his head as Bumblebee shrunk herself and zipped away.

"That was a most entertaining conversation!" Starfire said as she flew a couple inches above the air by Robin's side.

"Yeah, that Bumblebee girl has sass," Robin said. Raven caught his meaningful glance and raised her eyebrows at his silent question; he really was considering _everyone_ for the team. Robin understood her expression and nodded his head in agreement to their turn-down; she was too saucy for his liking, anyway. He liked ferocity and spunk and spirit as much as the next guy, but he couldn't imagine it being good for the team chemistry.

"What class do you guys have next?" Speedy asked.

The three glanced down at a piece of paper in their hands and scanned the lists of classes. It was only the first day, and they had been given classes immediately. Every freshman was to attend Homeroom and receive their schedules there, as well as their first training lesson. For Robin, Raven, Starfire, and Speedy, their Homeroom was Survival Training.

"I have Math next," Raven answered.

"I have the study of the logic of quantity and shape and arrangement as well, Raven!" Starfire beamed.

Robin stared at Starfire, wondering how she could rattle off such formal words with ease. It wasn't until Speedy cleared his throat that he seemed to realize what he was doing, and he turned a slight shade of pink and said clearly, "I have Poison Identification and Treatment."

"Well, I have Self Defense. I guess I'll be seeing you at lunch!"

"Yes, we will see you at lunch, friend Speedy! Farewell!"

Raven blinked at Starfire. "Do you like him, or are you just that friendly to everyone?"

"Of course I like him, Raven! He is a friend, is he not? He seems most likable."

"No, I mean... never mind. Let's just go to Math."

* * *

Math class was a stark contrast to the dynamics of Survival Training. Set up like a normal classroom, it even had a normal teacher, who seemed unfazed by the future superheroes sitting in front of him. To them, they were just high school students who needed to know how to find the infinitive sum of geometric series.

Bo-_ring._

But Raven quite enjoyed Math, and she listened intently. Or she would have, if Starfire and a certain green-haired individual weren't talking so loudly in her ear.

His name was Beast Boy, and she was already sick of his _volume._

"That's awesome! You're from outer space?"

"Yes, that is correct. I am from the planet of Tamaran. It is approximately 26 light-years away, and it is the eighth planet in the Vegan sys-"

"Wickeeeeed. So, you're an alien? Do you have any super awesome superpowers?"

"Would you like a demonstration?" The green in Starfire's eyes began to blaze brightly, and Beast Boy began to chuckle nervously at the intimidating sight of an 'activated' Starfire.

"No thanks, bro. Save it for Battle Training, it's the one class all the freshmen have together."

_That'll make Robin happy,_ Raven thought absentmindedly. She wasn't eavesdropping, not really; she just didn't have anything to do. The first few days of any Math class were purely for review; she already knew about basic algebra and geometry, and she had nothing better to do.

Starfire giggled at her new green friend's reaction, her eyes returning to its normal clear green but noticeably glow-less state. "I am more powerful than you expected, yes?"

"Well, I wouldn't say _that_," Beast Boy maintained, puffing out his chest confidently. "I'm a shapeshifter. I can change into whatever animal I want."

Starfire clapped her hands gleefully and beamed at Beast Boy. "Please, will you do the changing of shapes into the Flanorgla fly? How I miss their bright shine!"

Raven chuckled and decided to enter the conversation; Starfire, so giddy and easy to please, was starting to become endearing. To her surprise, she found herself beginning to genuinely like the girl; not because she planned to have the alien on her team, but because the girl was hard not to like. "I'm guessing he can only shape-shift into the animals he has seen before, Starfire."

Large sorrowful eyes suddenly turned to Raven, who raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in her roommate's expression. "I thought we were friends, roommate Raven!" Starfire's lip began to tremble and her eyes were beginning to fog up and become glassy _oh dear Azar was she going to cry in the middle of class-_

"I can guess, though!" Beast Boy seemed intent on serving as a distraction to Starfire's sadness, and transformed into a large and rather green fly before their eyes. Sniffing, Starfire wiped her eyes and looked away from Robin to stare at Beast Boy. Or Beast Fly.

"You are not a Flagnorla fly," Starfire disapproved.

Apparently upset at his failure (or attempting to make the two girls laugh), the fly began to buzz around Raven, feigning running into her eye and cooing by her ear, hiding in the depths of her hair, avoiding a large hand that tried repeatedly to slam it against her skull.

"Stop it, you stupid fly," Raven muttered, thoroughly annoyed.

The fly dropped to her lap and became a cat, meowing up at her apologetically. It was almost creepy, how it was still the distinct green of Beast Boy's skin. Raven shoved the kitten off of her lap as Starfire cried out in protest, causing the Math professor to turn back and glare at the well-meaning Tamaranean. Embarrassed, Starfire ducked her head and stopped intervening in the silent quarrel between Raven and Beast Boy.

The kitten prevented its sure injury by becoming a dove in the air, flying up to land on Raven's shoulder. She brushed it off and the dove protested by rubbing its cheek against Raven's. Getting more and more irritated with each transformation, Raven hissed and the dove flew back, surprised. He shifted to a dog and began running around the entire room, wagging its tail and searching for someone who would appreciate all of his antics. The students giggled and gasped and whispered and pointed fingers, but the rather aged Math professor didn't turn around once. Starfire's neck grew red as she realized the unfairness of him taking notice of _her_ outburst when he ignored everyone else's—when she was just trying to help!

"Oh, Beast Boy, that is enough!" she finally burst out. The Math professor whipped his head around and took off his glasses, narrowing his eyes and pointing at the door... all while continuing the notes on the board. With a defeated sigh and a half hearted reproachful glance at her two friends, Starfire left—but the two had seen the sparkle of laughter in her eyes, and they shared a glance, smiling to themselves.

Beast Boy, still in the form of a dog, wagged his tongue and trotted over to Raven, resting his head on her thigh. Raven patted his head and began to massage his skull. Beast Boy sighed happily as the two ignored the Math professor and wallowed in the silent but palpable agreement of a newfound friendship between them.

* * *

"I cannot do the believing of you two having me sent out of the classroom!"

"Come on, Starfire, that wasn't our fault!" Beast Boy slung his arms over Starfire and Raven's shoulders, stopping in the middle of the hallway and pulling them close to him affectionately. "We're all friends here, right?"

"Right. Now can you please let me go?" Beast Boy obliged, and Raven dusted off her cloak, sending a small smile to Beast Boy to show that she wasn't truly irritated at him. He seemed relieved, and pointed his two thumbs enthusiastically at her with a wide grin.

"In Tamaran, we would call you the gunlar." Starfire crossed her arms and pouted, but Raven and Beast Boy ignored it, understanding that she was only joking. They knew she had been just as entertained as the rest of the class, and was only disappointed that she had not seen the rest of the fun.

She didn't know that the rest of class had been generally uneventful, save for the sudden kinship between Beast Boy and Raven, and nobody planned on telling her; it was fun, teasing her.

"What's a gunlar?" a voice from behind them asked. "By the way, you guys should start walking, you're blocking up the hallway."

"Robin!" Starfire beamed and embraced him tightly for a few long minutes, until Robin cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Oh, I am sorry for taking too long with the hug," Starfire said hastily, pulling back immediately. Raven snickered at the red-faced, clearly embarrassed Robin, so different than the cool-mannered, confident Robin she had first met.

"Yeah, well, uh..." Robin stammered, pulling at his collar, at a loss for words.

"Dude, Robin, right? I'm Beast Boy!" The green boy had stuck out his hand and the boy wonder had already started reaching for it when Raven noticed something... strange.

"Your ears." She cocked her head to the right and tightened her mouth ever so slightly, examining the two... things on the side of Beast Boy's head.

"You like?" The two 'ears' wiggled and Beast Boy crossed his eyes, eliciting a giggle from Starfire. "They're a Beast Boy special feature," he wagged his eyebrows and smiling lopsidedly.

"They're.. _pointy_."

"The girls love it."

"I'm... sure."

Beast Boy shrugged and faced Robin, who was not-so-subtly glancing at Starfire. He didn't seem to notice, though, and interrupted Robin's ogle. "So, you heading to lunch, dude?"

"Huh? Oh, lunch, right." Robin cleared his throat and Raven held back a loud laugh. He sure was smooth, that one. "Yeah, it's this way—let's go, we can all sit together."

"Glorious!" Starfire clapped her hands and followed Robin dutifully, flying a few feet above the air as she trailed him.

The remaining two looked at each other, shrugged, and followed suit, walking side by side, with a breath's distance between them.

* * *

The cafeteria was huge... and circular. Raven would have expected it if it was a cafeteria meant for the entire HIVE student body, but there were four lunch periods, each for a different class. Were there _this_ many HIVE freshmen this year? It hadn't seemed so large at the auditorium. But then again, it had been dark, and she'd been caught up by Headmaster's opening speech.

Its main color scheme was, obviously, black and yellow—but instead of coming off as simple and overdone, it came off beautifully, accented by tastefully chosen paintings that coordinated with the colors and the shining metal counters of the 'student-safe bars' set up against the cafeteria's walls. Deemed Honey, the bars served as a cafe, selling snacks, coffee, hot chocolate, smoothies, juice, soda, even virgin Piña Coladas. They had four areas for ordering and picking up their orders, and there were seats at the counters for students to eat, as well. High rounded tables littered the center of the cafeteria, and many students were already sitting on them, eating hungrily. There was a door that led outside of HIVE, where there were more rounded tables with tall umbrellas for shade set up. Students ordered lunches at one of the hundred 'lunch ATM' right outside of the cafeteria, where they would choose from a long list of options and have a lunch delivered to them immediately.

Amazing.

"Wooooah," Beast Boy echoed her thoughts beside her.

"Glorious," Starfire whispered in reverence.

"Eh," Robin shrugged, keeping his pace steady as he walked to one of the larger round tables in the cafeteria. He sat down and set his lunch down: a simple and very long sandwich.

"Dude, we match!" Beast Boy bounded over, sat down by the nonchalant sidekick and showed Robin his own lunch, which was identical to Robin, save for the lack of meat and the addition of vegetables Robin probably couldn't even name.

"Raven, do we share the choice of our lunches?" Starfire inquired as the two girls walked peacefully over to the selected table. She held a clean black tray with piles and piles of pizza on top.

"Nope." Raven held out her own lunch, set on the same tray, of salad and fruits. It was how she had been fed in Azarath. She never ate more than she needed, and everything she hate was never heavy; only the lightest of foods and vegetables could be eaten by Azarathians, with their delicate spiritual balance and inner needs.

It was, for some people, boring... but for Raven, it had always been beneficial. The idea of practicing humility and taking light portions of life's necessities kept her balance in check and kept her spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and even physically at peace.

"It is, as they say, the bummer," Starfire pouted, oblivious to the small smile on Raven's lips.

After the four started their meal, Speedy showed up, with about five new faces behind him. "Hey guys! I brought some friends," he gestured to the people standing near him. They all waved and chimed hello's, as Robin sent Raven a knowing glance, as if to say, _I knew I should have picked a big table._

"Nice to meet all of you," said Aqualad as he sat by Beast Boy.

"Aren't y'all in my Homeroom?" Bumblee raised an eyebrow as she slid into the seat by Raven.

"Hey dawg, nice sandwich! But where's the steak...?" Cyborg leaned in over Aqualad to examine Beast Boy's sandwich as the green changeling brought his lunch to his chest defensively, sputtering about the obscenities of cow-torturers.

"Hey Robin, been a long time!" Kid Flash sped over to high five Robin, laughing when Robin didn't even raise a palm to even try getting it up in time. He smacked the back of Robin's head instead, to which he got a noogie in response.

"KF, stop it," Jinx waltzed over and put a hand on her hip.

Soon, all nine of them (_This is some table,_ Raven mused) were seated and talking with each other, the comforting buzz of conversation and easy laughter resounding in the cafeteria. Cyborg ate as often as he breathed, often talking with his mouth full and eliciting a groan from Beast Boy about how much cow he was eating. Speedy and Starfire began talking animatedly, discussing quantum physics and their favorite classes so far. Aqualad and Raven talked pleasantly, exchanging a few words on the effects of meditation on not only humans but also Atlanteans. Bumblebee and Jinx gossipped and Kid Flash and Robin were having bro time. All was well.

A few times, Robin would meet Raven's eyes, and point to another person with his pupils, only to get a shrug in return. He narrowed his eyebrows in teasing accusation and she smirked and slapped the air with the back of her palm twice, signaling for him to leave her alone. He smiled and returned to a chattering Kid Flash, as Raven surveyed the table quickly. All of them seemed to get along without a problem.

It would be a difficult decision, for sure.

* * *

_Okay, I give you all **full** permission to hate me forever for being so late with this chapter. It's the first week of summer and yow would think that that would mean I have more time to update, but honestly, I leave the house way too early in the morning and come home way too late at night... or early in the morning, again. But I'll make it up by posting another chapter tomorrow night, ASAP!_

_Also, gunlar is not a word. I made it up._

_Also, a special note to the anonymous reviewer AMAZING, because _**_you_**_ are amazing!_


	4. Chapter 4

_As promised!_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

* * *

The first day at the HIVE had been a long one. Raven groaned as she lazily dragged her feet behind her, thinking about how unfair it was that Starfire had boundless energy and the ability to fly even when she was tired. Because of the strange schedule of the first day, HIVE freshmen had gone to class after class, nine in all, and it was 10pm by the time the two girls began to go back to their dorms.

To be fair, they had been dismissed at 9pm, but there was an hour of free time before lights-out, and the group had gotten together again - the group being Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Bumblebee, Speedy, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Jinx, and Raven.

"I cannot believe that the boys can do the squeaking of their arpmits. It was a most peculiar noise.. Raven, do you know what this sound is called? I do not recall ever hearing it before."

"A fart, Starfire. They made the sound of a fart with their armpits."

Starfire stared at Raven as they walked down the long hallway, short eyebrows furrowed, her expression clearly one of confusion. "A fart?"

"Yes," Raven said curtly, too tired and too exhausted to be anything exasperated. Starfire seemed to get the hint and quieted at once, content to walk by her friend. They turned the corner and headed towards their room, room 413. The first number corresponded to the floor their dorm was on, and the next two numbers signified the actual room number. There were eight dormitories in total at HIVE. Each grade level had their own two buildings, one for each gender. The freshmen girls' dormitory was dubbed Honeycomb, and the freshmen boys' dormitory was called Brood Chamber, a play on the name of a certain section of a bee hive and the tendency of the new freshmen males to 'brood.' Each dormitory was five stories tall, and though there was an elevator in each building, there was only one, and most students had to take the stairs.

Thankfully, Raven and Starfire had managed to squeeze into the elevator, albeit pressed against a few intimidating peers, but they had come out relatively unsquashed.

"Do you have the key, Star?" Raven asked wearily.

"Yes, I do, Raven." Starfire pulled out a golden key from her front pocket and unlocked the door to their room. It seemed only seconds later that the two collapsed onto their respective beds, groaning as their own tired muscles caught up to them. After Self Defense and Math, Raven had gone to Intro to a Villian's Mind, Poison Identification and Treatment, Self Control, Detective Training, History, and Language Arts. Starfire's schedule began to differ from Raven's after Poison Identification and Treatment (where she had been a huge help to Raven, who was not unfamiliar with alien dangers), and had gone to Self Defense, Foreign Language, Physics, Cooking, and Stealth Training. They were physically and mentally drained.

"We should do the brushing of our dental units," Star said into her pillow, her voice coming out distorted and muffled.

"In a minute," Raven groaned.

"In a minute," Starfire agreed.

The two were quiet as they spent the next minute gathering their strength, and rose from their bed at the same time, smiling hesitantly at one another. They stood side by side brushing their teeth, washing their face, and changing into their pajamas. Raven stretched and turned to her side, her back towards Starfire. Starfire curled into a ball and held a pillow to her chest.

All was quiet.

"Starfire?" Raven said, interrupting the peaceful silence.

"Yes, Raven?"

"I'm glad you're my roommate."

The smile on Starfire's lips were nearly audible. "And I am glad you are mine, Raven."

"Good night."

"Pleasant slorvaks."

"Slorvaks...?"

* * *

"Raven, you must rise!"

The Azarathian groaned and covered her eyes. "Why?" she complained.

"It is 6am, and we have a mere hour to go down for breakfast!"

"Azar help me," Raven muttered under her breath, getting out of bed purely because there was no going back to sleep after that hefty shake from Starfire's surprisingly strong arm. In thirty minutes, both girls were showered and dressed, with thirty minutes left to kill.

Starfire smiled sheepishly. "Perhaps we had more time to do the sleeping in?"

Raven nodded. "Yeah... You get up really early, Star."

"Oh, the sun is the source of my energy! I wake with the sun most days, but I was overcome with exhaustion."

Raven nodded and ran her fingers through her hair. "Well, let's get down to the cafeteria. They can't kick us out for being early, can they?"

"Certainly not, friend Raven."

The two headed towards the cafeteria in relatively faster time than it took to get to their rooms last night, due to the emptiness of the elevator. They remained comfortably silent when they walked in and sat down at the already-usual table with no breakfast, as the ATM's were not turned on as of yet.

"Do you know your schedule, friend Raven?" Starfire asked cheerfully.

_It has got to be illegal to be that happy in the morning._ "Yeah, thank Azar that it's back to the original six classes."

"Yes, I do the wondering of why we attended nine yesterday."

"Apparently, they were only half of the normal time, so that's why they fit so many in. I don't get it, either."

"Most strange."

"Yep. What classes do you have today?"

Starfire pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and unfolded it, smoothing out the crinkles. "I have the Poison Identification and Treatment, Self Control, Language Arts, Technology and Hardware, Weaponry, and Battle Training. And yourself, Raven?"

Raven used her powers to get a piece of paper from a pocket in her cloak and levitated it in the air in front of her. "Stealth Training, Justice System, Core Training, Hand-to-Hand Combat 101, Foreign Language, and Battle Training. Looks like Battle Training is still the one class every freshmen shares."

"I am pleased to have at least one class with you today," Star said, clearly happy at the prospect of knowing at least one person in her class. "But I am afraid of the being alone and new in a class by myself," she added nervously.

"You'll be fine," Raven assured her, knowing her charm would attract people to her without a bit of effort on the alien's part. She was too sincere to dislike.

The two smiled at each other as more and more students began to flood the cafeteria, most of them hungry and complaining about the ATM's. Finally, at the strike of the clock at 8am, the ATM's brightened to life and the students rushed to be the first ones to get their breakfast. Honey wasn't open in the mornings, apparently, because it was a volunteer-basis in terms of the staff and no one wanted to get up earlier in the morning.

By the time Raven and Starfire had received their breakfasts from the ATM's, the cafeteria was half-full.

"Good morning, ladies," Speedy said smoothly as he slid in besides Starfire, a cup of cereal on a tray. She smiled at him and showed him her own breakfast.

"We have the same breakfast, friend Speedy!"

He laughed at her enthusiasm. "Looks like we do, Starfire." He turned his gaze to Raven and smiled at her. "How did you sleep, Raven?"

"I slept well, thank you."

One by one, their friends trickled in and soon enough, they were all chattering as freely as they had the day before. Starfire was talking animatedly to Robin, who was on her other side, as he nodded and smiled affectionately at her; Speedy and Bumblebee were arguing; Cyborg and Jinx were discussing their schedules; Kid Flash and Aqualad were talking about how being underwater affected the laws of physics; and that left Raven and Beast Boy.

"Hey, what's with the cloak?" Beast Boy asked her.

"Excuse me?" Raven raised her eyebrows at the sudden question.

"What's with the cloak?" He motioned towards the others at the table, silently pointing out the casual dress code. Most of the boys were wearing shorts and T shirts, while the girls were relatively casual while showing off their stylish prowess. Raven stuck out, with her deep blue cloak covering most of the black shorts and black tank top she wore underneath.

Raven shrugged. "It's an Azarathian thing, I guess."

"_C__oool._ Does it mean anything?" She studied Beast Boy skeptically, searching for traces of sarcasm or mocking ridicule. To her surprise, he looked completely sincere and eager, genuinely wanting to know about her culture. She immediately softened to him, the boy who didn't know her very well but was truly curious about where she came from.

"It's... a little complicated," Raven said reluctantly. Beast Boy nodded enthusiastically to show he wanted to know anyway. With a sigh, she brushed her hair behind her ear as she began explaining. "Cloaks have two purposes: to signify strength and power, as well as our emotions. Blue is one of the standard cloaks that most young adults and adults have. It means your powers are relatively stable, and you are at peace."

"So what's green?" Beast Boy wiggled his own pointed green ears.

Raven smiled. "Bravery, and the strength that comes with it."

He pumped up his fist triumphantly. "Oh yeah!"

She laughed in spite of herself. "You're pretty funny."

Beast Boy beamed. "Really? You think I'm funny?"

"Yeah, sure."

"You're awesome!"

"Uh... Thanks."

She silently thanked Azar for not giving observation skills from Beast Boy at that moment, because the heat in her cheeks was humiliating.

* * *

"So, let me get this straight: you and I have all the same classes on Mondays?"

"Yep! Lucky you, right?"

As luck would have it, Beast Boy and Raven were paired up for the entire day. Raven bit back a sigh and headed towards to their first class: Stealth Training. "Come on, Beast Boy, let's get this over with."

* * *

"So, in Azarath, do they have a cloak that means _total babe_ cause I need one of those..."

"_Beast Boy_, I can hear you from here!" Raven hissed, turning around at a branch in a tree about eleven feet away.

"Shhh, I'm supposed to be stalking you!"

"_Tracking,_ not _stalking_!"

"SHHH!"

"You two! F! This is Stealth Training, not Flirt Training! Heh heh, Flirt Training, heh... F for flirting... Heh, I am one clever fellow!" The professor cleared his throat. "Like I said, you two receive an F for today's assignment."

"Beast Boy..." The audible threat in Raven's voice turned Beast Boy's face pale green, and he backed up and began chuckling nervously.

"So, Raven, how about you stalk me this time..."

"_Tracking!"_

* * *

"Beast Boy, wake up!"

"You're actually listening?"

"The court system is fascinating, actually."

"_Boooo_ring..."

"You should pay attention, you know."

"Nah, you can teach it to me later. I bet you're a good teacher..." Beast Boy dozed off and began to snore quietly, as Raven fondly smiled and turned back to the teacher, her cheeks slightly pink.

* * *

"_Core_ Training? Please, my core's already fit!" Beast Boy stuck out his chest confidently, refusing to lift the weights.

Raven shrugged and began lifting, benching 100 pounds with ease. "I bet you can't beat me, though."

"_What_? Of course I can beat you! You're a girl!"

One of the lighter dumbbells rammed its way into his stomach, and Beast Boy glared at Raven, who was smiling as she stared straight up with each pump of the bar.

* * *

"Hit me!"

"I can't hit a _girl_!"

"This girl can bench more than you can!"

"Hey, that's not true! I was doing squats which is totally diff-" A fist to his cheek interrupted Beast Boy's protests and made him stumble back. "Hey! I can't believe you just-"

"I will _not_ get another F on an assignment!" Raven hissed.

"Fine, you asked for it!" Beast Boy rushed forward and Raven lifted her arms to block his blows. He avoided a punch and sped behind her. Before she could turn around, he grabbed her wrists and in one fluid motion brought them together against the small of her back, pressing on them so her belly button arched towards the ceiling. She was breathing heavily, taken by surprise by his agility and his surprising strength, unable to break free despite her violent attempts to. He leaned forward and said into her ear, "I won't hit a girl."

He let go. Raven turned, staring in aghast, and then blankly. Beast Boy waited. She smirked for an instant, so quickly that Beast Boy thought his eyes were tricking him until she rushed forward and landed a punch in his stomach. He kneeled over and grunted, looking up at her with betrayed eyes and a hurt expression.

She smiled, and held out a hand for him to take and pull himself up with.

He took it.

* * *

"I hate French," Raven muttered underneath her breath.

"Really? I always thought there was a kind of a melancholy in French."

"You know French?" Raven blinked, completely surprised.

Beast Boy shrugged. "Well, my parents were geneticists, and they traveled a lot. We went to a lot of jungles, especially in Africa, and sometimes we would visit the cities or towns and stay there. We stayed in Democratic Republic of Congo for awhile, and I picked up on the French." He grinned at her, catching Raven off guard once more. "So, I finally found a subject I'm better than you in."

She looked away, a gesture that Beast Boy took to hide her shame but was actually to hide the blush that was spreading across her cheeks. "I'll study really hard," she muttered.

Beast Boy laughed. She turned back to him, confident that the pink had faded, and smiled.

* * *

"Battle Training is next, right?"

"Yep." Beast Boy and Raven walked with each other, their French class being the farthest away from the large arena just outside of the actual academy building. They fell into easy conversation, going over each class and making fun of a few teachers. Or rather, Beast Boy made fun of the teachers as Rachel commented on the level of difficulty she expected from each.

"Hey, Raven, I had fun today. I think I'm really going to like Mondays."

Raven hid her growing affection for the green boy with a bland tone of voice, though she kept her words sincere. "Me too. If you don't get me another F on an assignment."

Beast Boy laughed. "Then you'll have to tutor me a lot, I guess."

She bit back a smile, and after a nice pause, Beast Boy spoke up. "So, will you be?"

"Huh?"

"Be my tutor."

Raven and Beast Boy looked shyly away from each other, both aware of the sudden connection they'd developed over the recent two days, and the real meaning behind his question.

"Sure."

"Great! Off to Battle Training, then!"

* * *

_So, obviously... this fic is not RobRae. Sorry, AMAZING. I just... I really cannot see it happening. But I'm not sure if this is going to be a BBRae fic either... I haven't started working on the sequel and triquel yet, so we'll see what happens. Well, actually, that's a lie, I've planned everything out ;)_

_My favorite interaction with Beast Boy and Raven in this chapter was probably the French class. It's just so darn adorable. "I'll study really hard" hehe that's so cute! Props to me._

_Hope you enjoyed! Chapter 5 will be published on Sunday._


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter is a little... well, boring. It's a filler chapter, meant to introduce you to the Battle Training class, and the group in general. This fic will not be focusing as much on the characters besides Raven. I know, it makes me sad, too. But it's very Raven-centric. I'm thinking of rewriting the last couple of chapters, but for now, that's where it's at. If you're interested in hearing out my ideas and if you know how to work out a brilliant plot, please let me know, because I'm still a little lost.**

**Also, Sister Superior is a DC character. You should look into her, I admire her a lot. I don't read comic books myself, but I do a lot of research. I don't know if I got her personality _completely_ right, so I apologize in advance. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

* * *

Battle Training was the longest class of everyone's schedule. There were dozens of professors, all of them superheroes, who took on a group of approximately ten students, give or take a few, and become their official Battle Coach, sticking with them through all of their time at HIVE. Thankfully, the students could choose their group, and of course, Raven, Robin, Starfire, Speedy, Beast Boy, Aqualad, Bumblebee, Cyborg, Kid Flash, and Jinx were all one group.

Their Battle Coach was, fortunately for Robin, not Batman; he had passed on the teaching offer, claiming evil never took a break to help educate students; why would he? No, Vera Lynn Black, otherwise known as Sister Superior, was in charge, passionate about teaching the youth how to be proper heroes, strong while remaining human, refraining from killing and other forms of cruelty. She cared about justice, and it showed; for this reason, all of the members quickly developed a respect for the woman with cybernetic implants and robotic arms, especially Cyborg.

The Battle Training area was affectionately called the BTA, and it was similar to a regular high school's football stadium – only bigger, made of solid metal, and with hard, natural ground as opposed to painted-on synthetic grass. There were apparently different areas on the island for group training, and it was to their designated group arena that they were on now. It was about a ten minutes' walk from the BTA, a simple dome that was large enough for all of them. All eleven in the group sat down and made a circle, and for a few minutes, the students stared at Vera nervously as she observed them blankly.

"Who are all of you?" she finally asked, smiling to indicate that she was joking.

"I'm Robin, and that's Raven, and-"

"And we are all capable of introducing ourselves," Raven interrupted, sending Robin a quick scolding glance before returning her gaze to Sister Superior. "But like he said, I'm Raven."

"I am Starfire!" The alien beamed.

"Yo, I'm Beast Boy, nice to meet you," the green changeling smiled and waved.

"Speedy," the redhead raised a hand in greeting.

"My name's Aqualad, but you can call me Garth."

"Jinx."

"I'm Kid Flash, the fastest boy on Earth!"

"Cyborg here!"

"What is this, roll call? I'm Bumblebee."

"You can call me Sister, or Superior, or Sister Superior, or SS, or Vera, or whatever you want." She put a hand on her hip and assessed each one of them quickly. "Looks like I have my work cut out for me. Let's get started." She started with Bumblebee, quizzing her on her abilities and strengths and weaknesses and comfort zones quietly and privately. She was not intimidating, but her confidence was powerful and it would have made another person slightly self-conscious – but Bumblebee wasn't capable of being nervous, and she replied with the usual burst of personality the group had all become used to, and had even become fond of. She may be spunky, but Bumblebee was full of smiles and compliments. Raven was positive that Robin was considering her for their group again now that he knew her.

"Hey, Raven," Robin whispered.

"I know, you want me to measure them and see if they're good for the team," Raven murmured quietly, making sure none of the others could hear.

He nodded and gave her a thumbs up as Vera headed for him, causing his back to straighten.

By the time Vera was finished getting to know them, the three hours were up. The group glanced at each other nervously, and Vera laughed. "This is how the first day always is," she assured them. "I just need to figure out a lesson plan that's perfect for _all_ of you, but I may end up having to take you a few at a time, have the others watch for a bit." She frowned, beginning to tap her chin as she pondered. "Alright, I've got it. Tomorrow, we'll have all of you go. I'll be the villain." She smirked. "Most of the students have to train for at least two months before they can try fighting their teacher, but I'd like to see what you guys are made of myself. I'll go easy on you guys, don't worry, but I _will_ challenge you."

The group nodded seriously, beginning to get a little excited at the idea of being able to show off their skills and impress Vera.

Their teacher smiled at them, the light reflecting off the red goggles over her eyes attractively. "See you tomorrow. Get rest; you're going to need it."

* * *

"Yeah, free time! Woohoo!" Beast Boy did a jig as all ten left the Battle Training arena.

"Boo yah! Let's go swimming, y'all!"

"Sounds good, Sparky!"

"_Sparky?_ Girl, my name's Cyborg. _Cy. Borg._"

"Sparky."

"Cyborg."

"Sparky."

"CY. BOR-"

"Enough!" The group turned their attention to Robin expectantly. He smiled at them. "Anyone up for a swim?"

"Alright!" Cyborg pumped his fist in the air, the conflict over his name with Bumblebee forgotten.

"I'm going to get changed!" Bumblebee shrunk into the size of a bee and sped off.

"Yes, that sounds most enjoyable! Raven and I shall go do the getting changed now!"

"Be back in a _flash_!"

"Meet you guys back here soon, then!"

* * *

The sun was warm on Starfire's back, and she sighed contentedly, the strings of her purple bikini untied as she soaked in the source of her energy. Raven sat beside her, reading from a book, her own bikini matching the color of her usual cloak. The boys were in the ocean, splashing each other, and occasionally racing, though most of them began to push Kid Flash's head in the water when he tried to join.

"It is nice, the 'chilling out,'" Starfire said dreamily, opening one eye to peek at her new girlfriends beside her.

"I hear you, girl," Bumblebee called out from her spot by Jinx. "I'm feeling re_laaaaxed_."

"The sun feels nice," Jinx murmured, falling asleep on her towel.

"How are you doing over there, Raven? Enjoying your book?" Bumblebee asked politely.

"Yep."

"Mm, I like the girl time," Starfire murmured sleepily.

* * *

"Hey girls, don't you want to get some water?" Robin bounded over and rubbed his hair with a towel, smiling down at all of them.

But especially at Starfire. _Of course,_ Raven thought.

"I am content with the wonderful rays of sun," Starfire replied dreamily. The other girls didn't bother answering Robin; it was clear to all of them that the two had something going on, or at least were going to eventually.

"Well, that's good." Robin sat by her, laying his towel down first. "So you're energized by the sun?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"So, you're like a plant?"

Starfire glanced up at Robin and raised an eyebrow, frowning. "Excuse me? I do not think that I am a tree, or a shrub, a herb, or a flower-"

"No, I meant... I just thought it was interesting that plans get food from sunlight and so do you, kind of, not saying that you don't eat or anything, it's just that... ahh, nevermind."

The girls giggled silently, but the two didn't notice at all, too caught up in their conversation. Starfire reached up to tie the strings of her swimsuit and sat up, smiling at Robin. He blushed scarlet.

"I understand, Robin. Forgive me for not seeing the connection."

"Oh, it's no problem.. I mean, you are new here... I mean, not that your English is _bad_, it's just that you're bound to make mistakes, and-"

"Robin?"

"Yes, Starfire?"

"You may call me Star."

"Star. Alright, that sounds nice. Star. I like it." He smiled at her, his charm and composure returning. "So you sure you don't want to swim a little?"

"No, as I stated previously, I am quite content-Robin? Robin! Please, let me down! I ask that you release me at once!"

"Nope!" Robin began to run, carrying Starfire effortlessly, and eventually dropping her into the ocean when they were deep enough. She squealed and began to laugh, rising from the water and flipping her hair back. Robin grinned until her eyes began glowing green, at which he began stammering and taking nervous steps back. "Star, I'm sorry, I just thought that it'd be-"

"You are, as they say, in for it!" Energy began crackling around her fists, a vivid green color that matched the current haze of her eyes, and she shot them at Robin's sides, causing the water to splash violently and completely ovetake Robin. He blinked for a few moments, dazed and surprised, but shook it off and smirked dangerously at Starfire.

"No, _you're_ in for it!" He began splashing water at her as she retaliated with her starbolts, until he eventually picked her up and dropped her into the water, again and again and again as she squealed in protest, laughing all the while.

"They are so together," Kid Flash muttered. Bumblebee looked up, surprised at his presence; she hadn't realized he was there.

"So are we," Jinx replied lightly, smiling minxishly at her boyfriend. Bumblebee tried to meet Raven's eye in surprise, but the girl was involved in her book. But she _did_ notice the way she would peek up to glance at the direction of a certain green-skinned changeling transforming from sea animal to sea animal.

She smirked. So everyone was taken already in this group? That left her Speedy, Aqualad, and Cyborg to choose from...

Yuck. Nevermind. She'd find a guy on her own, _outside_ of the gang.


End file.
